Between a Rock and a Hard Place
by Ghostwriter Redux
Summary: "Well, at least Hollywood got the 'green' part right. The 'little men' part of that phrase...," Logan trailed off, sucking her teeth nervously before resting her hands on her hips, eyes roving over the hulking green behemoth standing before her; "...Not so much..." Pairing: Celtic/OC, Scar/Lex. Fandom: AVP. AU. New and complete chapter seven is up !
1. Prologue

Disclaimer: The AVP Franchise is owned by 20th Century Fox if I'm correct. I only own my OC and make no profit from this in any way, shape, form and/or xenotype.

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Prologue

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"Mr. Weyland, we were able to contact Alexa Woods. She has agreed to meet with you sir."

"Very good."

"But the fact remains that we still do not have a medic on the payroll. The Board will not let you out of the country without one, especially with your health as it is."

"I know Maxwell," the older man sighed, the action causing another round of hoarse coughs to be heard over the radio headset. Maxwell patiently waited for him to catch his breath before continuing.

"I do have a suggestion, however."

"I'm all ears."

Max turned his gaze to the mountaineer sitting behind him him in the chopper; "During your travels and expeditions you have an EMT accompanying you at all times, correct?"

Alexa's eyes narrowed slightly at being addressed so informally but she answered him anyway; "Whenever the situation calls for it."

"We need his name, telephone number, and address."

"I'm not sure I can tell you that-."

"Ms. Woods, Alexa. May I call you Alexa?" He didn't wait for her to reply before continuing; "Alexa, I can assure you he will be graciously compensated for any travel and life expenses."

She sat taller in her seat, folding her arms neatly over her chest; "That is private information, you can't just buy-." He paid no attention to the rest of her statement, instead turning forward and conversing in hushed tones with his employer before raising his eyes to hers after several moments.

"Mr. Weyland has agreed to further fund your organization an additional two years if you provide us with his name." Alexa chewed her lower lip, frowning a bit before a defeated sigh escaped her.

"Logan Perry. Her name is Logan Perry."

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And so it begins...


	2. Chapter One

A/N: Wow, 7 reviews already?! You guys sure know how to give a girl an oversized head. Thanks to everyone who reviewed. Hope you enjoy this chapter just as much *fingers crossed*.

Disclaimer: I do not own Alien, Predator, or Alien vs. Predator nor do I own any of the songs used within. I only own my OC and make no profit from writing this.

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Chapter One

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"-I wanna heal, I wanna feel what I thought was never real. I wanna let go of the pain I've felt so long (Erase all the pain till it's gone). I wanna heal, I wanna feel like I'm close to something real. I wanna find something I've wanted all along: Somewhere I belong-," a hand reached over, smacking the snooze button a bit more violently than necessary before vanishing under the covers once more. Ice blue eyes opened groggily to half-mast, squinting blearily at the acid-green numbers on her clock;

6:47 AM.

Ugh.

Tugging her comforter back over her head the young woman lay in bed for several minutes longer; "-Stacy's mom has got it going on-!"

"Oh god, shut the hell up!" She all-but snarled, batting her abused alarm clock across the room and into her closet, the muffled sounds of Fountains of Wayne still audible even buried amidst her jackets and sweatshirts. Sitting up gingerly, Logan ran her hands back through her sleep-disheveled blond hair before sucking gently on her bruised knuckle to ease the sting.

She stretched out lazily, hissing when her right shoulder cramped painfully; "Shit, shit, shit!" She whined, stretching it out carefully. Having finally finished her physical therapy sessions a week earlier to recuperate from her broken shoulder socket and torn rotator cuff, it was still stiff and painful in the morning when she first awakened. Logan inhaled deeply, resisting the urge to go for the bottle of painkillers sitting on her bedside table and instead stumbled from her bed, wrapping her blanket around her as she did so.

Logan shuffled lazily towards the bathroom adjacent to her bedroom. Turning on some oldies she hummed along to the radio as she stripped herself of her jammies and jumped in the shower. She was happy her landlord had gotten the water heater fixed and she wasn't subject to cold showers (at least for the next week or so until it broke again).

As she finished rinsing the shampoo from her hair she heard frantic knocking coming from the door to her apartment. She rolled her eyes, turning the faucet off and feeling for a towel sitting on the toilet seat. Logan had a hunch it was only her neighbor coming to tell her how she had seen Margaret and Jason coming in late and that they had spent the night together.

Gossiping with her sixty-year old neighbor was the extent of Logan's social life these days, sadly enough…

"I'm coming!" She yelled down the hall, grabbing her yellow and purple ducky robe and slipping it carefully over her shoulders, tying it closed. She strode lazily towards the front door, drying her hair carefully as she went before opening it; "What is it Amelia?"

"Ms. Perry?"

"Can I help you?" She asked, brows arching upwards in curiosity as she took in the sight of the unfamiliar mocha-skinned man standing in front of her.

"You are familiar with Alexa Woods, correct?" The bottom dropped out of Logan's stomach as her mind began racing for all the reasons why he would want to know that.

_'She's dead, she's injured, she's missing_.'

Logan finally unstuck her tongue from the roof of her mouth long enough to be able to ask; "Is she alright?"

"She's fine Ms. Perry," he was quick to assure her, opening one of two folders he was holding; "My name is Maxwell Stafford. I am an aide to Mr. Charles Bishop Weyland. I reckon you may have heard of him?"

Logan was unable to hold back the unladylike snort that escaped her at the question; "Of course I have. Anyone who's been alive for the past twenty-odd years has heard of Weyland Industries." She folded her arms loosely over her chest as she leaned on the doorway, waiting for him to continue speaking.

"Ms. Woods tells us you are a certified EMT. Is that right?"

"Paramedic actually." It bothered her when people called her an EMT*, especially with the training she possessed that put her several levels above EMT's.

"You have accompanied her on several expeditions over the past five years as a guide as well as the team's medic?"

"Is that a question or a statement, Mr. Maxwell?" Logan asked irritably. Logan was impossible to deal with before 7:00 AM (9 AM on her days off) until she had a cup of coffee in her system.

"Both, actually," he flashed her a charming smile that made her roll her eyes.

"That's right, but what does that have to do with anything?"

"Mr. Weyland would like to meet with you in regards to a little…trip…he's been planning. You see, we need a certified paramedic to accompany us otherwise the Board won't let him out of the country. We were struggling to find someone as skilled a mountaineer as they were a medic in such short time though Ms. Woods was kind enough to provide us with your name."

Logan arched a brow at his words; "You said you need skilled mountaineers, where is he going on this 'trip'? Everest? Because if that's the case-."

"Alexa tells us you are the reason she survived hypothermia when you both scaled K2."

"Oh yeah?" Logan scoffed softly, getting real tired of how he kept cutting her off in mid-sentence; "Did she also tell you that I broke my shoulder during that climb?"

"She did actually," he stated, flipping through the file for a moment; "As a result Mr. Weyland has agreed to cover all of your hospital expenses and reimburse you for the time you've spent recovering and unable to work."

Her eyebrows flew upwards into her hairline at those words; "I'm sorry, he what?"

"It says here," he began, trailing a finger down a paper he was reading; "That your surgery cost over $20,000 not including rehabilitation fees from therapy. You've lost over four months wages for work when you were healing and your insurance company is barely covering $5000 worth of that."

"How do you know all this?"

"It's my job to know these things, Ms. Perry," he stated with a smug smirk she was sorely tempted to smack off his face; "You make roughly $48,000 a year as a paramedic, your surgery alone cost half of that." He continued flipping through his little folder; "It's said one of your dreams is to attend med school and become a general surgeon-."

"Okay, how the hell do you-?"

"In addition to covering your hospital expenses he has also agreed to provide you tuition assistance as well as a full ride to any university of your choice through Weyland Industries, including Harvard."

A grim smile of understanding suddenly graced her lips; "A tax write-off."

Max smiled stiffly at her icy words; "Take it as you will but I highly suggest you take his generous offer."

Logan frowned, biting her lower lip as her shoulder throbbed gently though she resisted the urge to reach up and rub it; "If it's anything involving strenuous physical activity I can't-."

"I can assure you it is nothing more difficult than what you do on a daily basis. Mr. Weyland is up in his years and he will be joining you and the others." Logan refrained from saying old age and a royally messed-up shoulder were two different things and instead turned her attention to the last part of his sentence.

"Others?"

"You agree then?"

"I never said that, don't put words in my mouth."

"Ms. Woods will be accompanying us as well."

She sighed, running her hands back through her damp hair and lacing her fingers behind her neck. If Lex was going, Logan figured she could tolerate whatever Weyland had planned so long as her best friend was there with her; "How long is this trip going to take?"

"An upwards of four to six weeks." Logan frowned at the time frame she was given.

"I'm due back at work in less than two," she paused, smirking wryly; "But something tells me you already knew that."

"Indeed I do but your employer, Mr. Hayes, seems to think it would be good for you to get out more," that did sound like her boss, looking after her like she was his own daughter and wanting her to be happy and successful; "Especially after Mr. Weyland made a generous donation to the Wounded Warrior Foundation."

"Is that all you guys are about? Bribing people?" Logan scoffed. Hayes was a veteran, having fought in Vietnam before being honorably discharged after losing his left leg just above the knee when he stepped on a landmine. She knew how much something like that meant to him.

Maxwell remained silent, waiting for her answer.

Having grown up with two older brothers and a twin brother, Logan was used to not getting what she wanted. She was used to hand-me-downs, being teased at school for her baggy boy clothes and 'boyish' name (it wasn't her fault that when she and her brother were born that the nurses were idiots and flip-flopped their names on their birth certificates. She was originally supposed to be Lindsey in fact but her brother got stuck with that name).

It wasn't until high school that kids finally stopped calling her 'Wolverine', little assholes...

Her parents worked hard to keep them clothed and fed with a roof over their heads and Logan had what she thought was a normal childhood. She had dreamt of being a surgeon since she first saw ER as a little kid but resigned herself to it never coming true unfortunately. The college fund her parents had set up for her as a child went to pay for her dad's hospital bills instead.

Logan's father suffered from a massive hemorrhagic stroke brought on by a fall when he was climbing Mount McKinley when she was nine and he never fully recovered from it. Her mom raised her and her brothers by herself all the while taking care of her husband, working three jobs and trying to keep a roof over their heads and food in their stomachs. Her mom was her idol, the woman Logan strove to be like; powerful, caring, generous, patient, and wise. She had taught her the importance of helping others, which was part of the reason Logan wanted to go into the medical field. With Weyland's help, she could actually make her dream a reality.

And besides, messed up shoulder or not, Logan had never turned down the opportunity for adventure (or free money for that matter).

Logan inhaled deeply, hoping she wasn't going to regret her decision; "Aw, what the hell? Why not?"

"Excellent. We will send a transport to pick you up this afternoon," he said, handing her the second folder he was holding; "If you would look this over before then I would appreciate it."

"Wait, t-today?" She stuttered though he continued speaking as though he hadn't heard her.

"They will be here at 2:00 PM on the dot." Max smiled once more; "I suggest you dress for cold weather. Good day, Ms. Perry." With that he turned and strode towards the elevator. Logan slowly shut the door to her apartment, flipping said-folder open and reading the first page she came across.

Her eyes grew wider and wider with each sentence she read and moments later she raced for the phone on the wall, punching in Alexa's number frantically.

Several rings went by before her friend groggily answered; "Hello…?"

"Alexa Marie Woods! I swear to god you have some serious fucking explaining to do," Logan practically exploded, eyes casting to the sheet once more as the highlighted words; 'Destination: Bouvetøya Island, Antarctica' stood out in vivid green against the page.

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Wow, there was a lot of information covered in this chapter. I do hope you enjoyed however. I can't promise I'll update on a schedule since work and RL gets in the way constantly but I'll do my best. It's my New Year's Resolution to finish a story so we'll see how it goes. Expect the rating to go up to 'M' in a few chapters when the lights go out and people start dying…wait, wrong fandom. Damn you, Pitch Black!

[*]: one of my close friends is a paramedic and he gets all testy when people go 'oh, you're an EMT?' and it's the cutest thing ever. He'll go off on a rant about it when they're out of earshot. According to him paramedics have a wider skill set than EMT's and need more training and he can go on and on about it. According to him there is a huge difference so I had to throw it in there. Another thing, I know I wrote Max as Weyland's aide rather than a representative to Weyland Industries but I like that idea better. If it bothers anyone that much I'll change it. I'm actually curious if anyone caught that…


	3. Chapter Two

A/N: Wow, you guys are awesome, you know that? …you don't…? Well, you are. Many thanks to those who have reviewed so far including *clears throat*; Yihaaaaw, LiveWild, Alex Maria Johnson, wolviegirl, funny-kitty, spidergirl, and my guest reviewers. Thanks so much. Now, let's get on with this shall we?

Disclaimer: I do not own AVP, only my cheeky slightly insane OC, and make no profit writing this.

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Chapter Two

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"I can't believe I let you talk me in to this," Logan muttered, rubbing her hands over her face with an exasperated sigh. She leaned against the headrest behind her as they continued the flight towards the ice breaker ship, the Piper Maru.

"I can't believe it either," Lex agreed, shutting her magazine and resting it on her thighs. Logan rubbed her eyes tiredly as a camera flash lit up the cabin, folding her arms loosely over her chest and giving the man sitting across from them an irritated look.

"S-sorry miss," he stammered, lowering his camera sheepishly; "I'm documenting the trip for me boys."

"Oh yeah?" Logan asked as he nodded several times, pulling up a picture of them on the display and showing her and Lex, introducing them as Jacob and Scotty; "They're cuties."

"Thanks," he grinned brightly, the smile of a proud father; "Would-would you mind taking a picture? I just want to show them their dad wasn't always boring," Logan smiled slightly as Lex agreed.

"Smile," Lex stated just as Miller glanced to the side out the small window, the flash illuminating the cabin as he glanced back over.

"Oop, s-sorry," he chuckled.

"Don't worry, the best pictures are the ones that look natural," Logan spoke up, stretching her arms lazily over her head with a tired yawn as Lex gave him the camera back.

"My name's Graeme Miller, I'm a chemical engineer." He offered Lex his hand as she shook it, Logan doing so shortly after her.

"Alexa Woods, environmental technician and guide."

"Logan Perry, paramedic and keeper of Lex's sanity." The last part of her statement earned her a playful swat on the arm.

"Nice to meet you both. Do you work for Weyland?"

Logan had to chuckle at the unladylike snort that escaped Lex at his inquisition; "Not hardly." He cocked his head in question at Lex's words; "I split my time between working for a small environmental group and taking scientists on expeditions on the ice."

"O-oh, I see, and you Ms. Perry?"

"Me? Nah, I'm just a paramedic from DC. I've known Alexa for years, her father and mine were close friends," Logan trailed off, remembering all the times their dads had taken them out hiking and rock climbing before Lex's passed away and hers was barely lucid. She was lucky if he even remembered who she was when she visited her parents.

Lex must've noticed the faraway look in her eyes and turned her attention back to Miller; "She's my right hand. The only belayer I completely trust with my life and when Weyland said he needed a medic she was the first person to come to mind. Resolute and resourceful, Logan is one of the strongest people I know."

The corner of her lips turned upwards in a faint smile at Lex's praise; "Thanks Lex."

The mocha-skinned woman gave her a reassuring smile; "Anytime."

"Hey Lex, Lo', you guys better buckle up back there. We're gonna hit some turbulence."

"Thanks Jack," Lex called back as the trio began pulling their safety harnesses on.

"Is he a friend of yours?" Graeme inquired, fastening the heavy metal buckle.

"Of my dad's. He trained most of the pilots down here."

"We just passed the P.S.R."

"Oh, damn!" The two women glanced up in confusion; "Wish I would've gotten a picture."

Logan quirked a brow curiously in Lex's direction before looking at the engineer; "Of what?"

"The P.S.R. I wish he would've called it out before he passed it."

The blond chuckled as she relaxed against her seat; "Typical tourist."

"The P.S.R. is the 'point of safe return'," Lex explained patiently.

"Meaning…what exactly?"

"It means we've used up half our fuel, there's no turning back." Just then the chopper hit some turbulence, jerking the trio around for a moment as Logan noticed the worried look on Miller's face.

"Um, but if something went wrong we could…um, land, presumably?"

"On what? We're in the middle of the ocean," Logan laughed as Lex seemed to actually think about his question for a moment before answering with a shrug.

"We could ditch."

"Right, ditch."

Logan was thoroughly enjoying the evil smirk that slowly crossed her friend's lips; "But the temperature of the water would kill us in three minutes."

The look on his face was priceless; "W-we'd die from hypothermia then?" Logan took the opportunity to speak up;

"Nah, we'd have to be wearing flotation long enough for hypothermia to get a chance to set in. See, the first state of cold water immersion is called 'cold water shock'. It's a stage of increased heart rate and blood pressure, uncontrolled gasping, and sometimes uncontrolled movement. It can be deadly all by itself. As a matter of fact, of all the people who die in cold water, it is estimated that 20% die in the first two minutes."

The poor engineer was looking more flustered by the second but Logan kept going; "You'll then lose your ability to swim. The second stage of cold water immersion is called cold incapacitation. Lacking adequate insulation your body will make its own. Long before your core temperature can drop a degree the veins in your extremities, you know, those things you use to swim with, will constrict. You lose the ability control your hands, and the muscles in your arms and legs will just flat out quit working well enough to keep you above water."

"O-okay, I-I get it."

"It typically takes a full hour to approach unconsciousness from hypothermia, the third stage of cold water immersion. But we'd have to be wearing flotation to get this far, which we're not, and in less than 36 degree water, well, I'd have to figure shock would set in if we didn't drown first, followed shortly by cardiac arrest, unconsciousness and then dea-."

"I get it!"

"Just sharing my knowledge. 'The More You Know', and whatnot," Logan said innocently, hearing Jack and his copilot chuckle as the two women reclined in their seats after sharing a celebratory fist bump when he glanced nervously out the window once more. They weren't truly trying to scare him, they were just making sure he knew what he was getting into and by the look of fear and worry in his eyes, he hadn't the slightest clue.

But then again, neither did they…

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Yes, it is short. Yes, I am very sorry for the delay but work is necessary to pay for my internet connection so I can keep posting stories for you all. It seemed like an alright place to cut it off, next chapter will be longer, I hope…Sorry for any grammatical errors, I speed-wrote this and sometimes I miss things when I'm reading over it.


	4. Chapter Three

Quick Reviewer Replies:

**Yihaaaaw**: I realize that it has been drifting perilously close to being a movie rewrite and I am sorry about that (it does seem to be a problem with any movie or novel-based fanfiction I've discovered especially those that are well-known). When they descend into the Pyramid, that's when it will finally diverge into AU (as well as 'M' rating territory). She isn't going to be Lex's tagalong for much longer nor will this continue to be a script revision (I can only hope ^-^")

**Wolviegirl**: I'm so happy you like Logan's personality. I've always found that cheeky characters are my favorite to write and I can assure you it will be rather entertaining when she finally meets the Yautja.

**Guest: **Yep, you and me both xD

**LiveWild: **Always glad to hear that, thanks for the support.

**Transformersbaby**: As ye ask, so shall ye receive or something to that effect ^-^

Disclaimer: I do not own AVP in any way, shape, form and/or xenotype. I only own my OC and make no profit from writing this.

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Chapter Three

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As soon as the chopper had landed on the Piper Maru, the three passengers found themselves whisked away from the HLZ almost immediately, ushered to a large room Logan could only describe as a makeshift auditorium.

A projector had been set up beside a laptop on the podium, aimed towards the opposite wall, the Weyland Industries logo playing across it in blue and yellow. Folding chairs had been set up and many were occupied already.

She shared a small grin with Lex when Graeme gave her a nervous look as she sat beside him before he moved one chair over; "I think he's scared of you," Lex said quietly, crossing her legs.

"Yeah, I'm a bit too much for him to handle," Logan whispered back, draping her arms behind her chair and slumping against the back of it casually.

"Welcome aboard everyone. Please take a seat." The two women immediately glanced up at the sound of Max Stafford's voice as he paced in front of the group; "Now then, some of you may be curious as to why this team has been assembled. Your host will now give you the answer."

The lights dimmed almost dramatically as footsteps could be heard clicking against the metal walkway behind them. Logan glanced over her shoulder upon seeing Charles Weyland leaning against the railing. She nudged Lex gently in the side; "Look Lex, it's your favorite person."

"Shut up and pay attention."

"Okay mom." Logan felt a hard smack land on her left thigh, nearly making her jump though she remained silent. The file Stafford had given her contained little information aside from their destination and a roster of who was attending. She was undoubtedly curious as to why they were brought together before a shot of Antarctica appeared on the far wall.

"Mr. Weyland." Max introduced him as the rest of the group turned as one to look at the man at the top of the stairs.

His eyes seemed to linger on everyone for a moment before he began speaking; "Seven days ago, one of my satellites over Antarctica hunting for mineral deposits discovered a sudden heat bloom beneath the earth which outlined this," The image shifted to show what appeared to be the framework of some sort of building.

"The red lines indicate solid walls. Through thermal mapping we managed to generate a three dimensional image of the structure." Logan felt her jaw drop slightly in awe at the figure on the wall; "It's massive, containing hundreds of rooms all built around a central core."

Weyland paused for what Logan assumed was dramatic effect; "My experts tell me it's a pyramid. What they can't agree on is who built it and when."

Logan heard a startled intake of breath from one of the men sitting behind her; "One expert tells me this has features reminiscent of the Aztecs. Another tells me it's probably Cambodian. What they all agree on is that the smooth side is definitively Egyptian-."

"I think your experts are right." Logan perked up at those words, the accent giving away the speaker's heritage as Spanish or Italian perhaps.

"Which one?" Weyland's voice was almost patronizing and Logan caught sight of Alexa rolling her eyes out the corner of hers.

"All of them."

"Meaning what exactly?" Lex finally asked.

The archaeologist, Logan assumed, began making his way to the front of the group as her eyes widened a fraction.

"Ohh baby, oh honey Logan thinks you are smoking," she murmured, eyes trailing appreciatively over his body and eliciting a small snicker from Lex before he began speaking once more.

"This pyramid contains the features of all three cultures. This might be the first pyramid ever built." His voice was full of elation and enthusiasm, the voice of someone who really loved their job which was a rare thing to find these days.

"But, who built it then?" Graeme inquired curiously.

"The first civilization." His words held a sort of 'duh' tone to them that had Logan grinning once more.

"Thank you." Weyland said, the tone of his voice indicating that the archeologist's speech was over.

"How could anyone possibly build a pyramid out here though?" Logan was starting to like Graeme, seeing as how he asked the questions that seemed to be on everyone's minds.

"Ancient maps show Antarctica free of ice. It's likely the continent was once habitable," the sexy Euro's friend spoke up, resting his laptop on his thighs.

"Well, I can't tell you who built it, but if I can take a sample from it I can tell you how old it is," Miller offered.

"Well Dr. Miller, I'm offering to put you right next to this thing." Weyland's words had Lex and Logan sharing surprised looks.

"Uh, what caused the heat bloom?" The other scientist questioned.

"I don't know." Weyland answered honestly.

"Just where exactly on the ice is this located anyway?" Lex finally asked the question that everyone had been wondering.

"Bouvetøya Island. But it's not on the ice."

"Then where-?" Weyland cut off Logan's next words with an almost grim smile.

"It's two thousand feet below it."

Silence befell the group as he allowed his words to sink in. Logan could see the realization in Lex's eyes, both coming to the conclusion as to why they needed people with mountaineering experience.

"Mr. Quinn." Stafford addressed a small group standing near the doorway as the lights came back on.

"Yes Mr. Stafford. You're looking at the best drilling team in the world. We can chew to the depth in seven days."

"And add three weeks on top of that to train everyone here," Alexa commented.

"We don't have that kind of time, Ms. Woods." Lex looked up at Weyland; "I'm not the only one with a satellite over Antarctica. Others will be here- soon."

Lex scoffed softly; "Maybe I wasn't clear. No one in this room is ready for this trip."

"Well, that's why I asked you and Ms. Perry here."

"Bouvetøya is one of the most isolated places in the world. The nearest land is a thousand miles away. There's no help for us if we run into trouble."

"You're right. It's a no man's land."

'_You really shouldn't try to placate her_,' Logan thought wearily to herself, knowing full-well how stubborn Lex was capable of being.

"But the train has left the station," he began strolling casually down the metal staircase; "And I think I speak for everyone aboard this ship when I say this is worth the risk."

Logan glanced at Lex upon hearing her sigh in annoyance. Hazel eyes lifted to meet glacier blue, Logan smiling slightly in unspoken agreement before they stood in unison. The rest of the assembled group looked at them in surprise, including Weyland.

"Sorry but you'll have to find yourself another guide and medic." Lex stated with finality in her voice, walking around the back of the group with Logan following suit. Unable to keep from doing so the blond glanced upwards at Weyland, shrugging almost apologetically before the two women exited the room.

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"I can't believe he'd ask something like that of us."

"Really? I can."

"I'm serious Logan." Lex sighed, tossing her duffel bags onto her bed that she had yet to unpack before running her hands back through her wavy hair in agitation. Logan contented herself with munching on a bag of trail mix, watching her friend pace back and forth from her seat against the wall; "People could die."

"I know Lex," Logan said calmly; "Which is why they'll need to find someone else. We won't be responsible for anyone's deaths. We never agreed to anything, we told them we'd listen to Weyland's proposition and we did. There's nothing more that's required of us."

A soft knock came from the door, causing Lex to pause in her pacing and for Logan to look up from her snack.

"The chopper is being refueled as we speak. The money has already been deposited into both your accounts. Mr. Weyland would like to thank you both for your time." And with that Stafford turned briskly on his heel, about to leave before Lex spoke up.

"I'm assuming you got another guide then?"

Max paused, turning to look at them over his shoulder; "Indeed."

Lex arched a brow; "Who?"

"Gerry Murdoch." Logan nearly choked on a pretzel, shooting an alarmed look towards Lex though the other woman had already grabbed her pullover and was headed out the door as soon as Murdoch's name had left Stafford's lips.

"L-Lex, w-wait up!" Logan called, stuffing her feet into her boots and carefully yanking her hoodie back on over her head. Combing her fingers through her hair she managed to tame it into a ponytail as she jogged after the irate environmentalist.

After asking a few people for directions they finally arrived at Weyland's temporary office. Lex opened the door without preamble, nearly shutting it on Logan as she stormed in.

Weyland raised his eyes from his computer as he took a sip of his drink; "By all means come in ladies."

Logan had to admit his sarcastic reply brought a tiny smile to her lips which immediately vanished when she recalled the reason behind their visit.

Lex pressed her hands down on top of his desk, locking eyes with the multibillionaire; "Gerry Murdoch only has two seasons of ice time. He's not ready."

"Don't worry about it."

"The boy's lucky if he knows the difference between a figure eight and a bowline knot," Logan snorted, standing beside Lex; "What about Paul Woodman?"

"Or Andrew Keeler even?" Lex's voice was nearly pleading.

"We did give them a call," Weyland stated calmly, taking a sip of what Logan presumed to be scotch by the scent.

They waited for him to elaborate; "And?"

"They gave the same bullshit answer you did." Logan scoffed at Stafford's reply.

Lex bristled, eyes narrowing dangerously; "It's not bullshit. If you rush this people will get hurt. Maybe die."

"I don't understand your objections, Ms. Woods, nor yours Ms. Perry. It's not as though we're asking you to take us up Everest," Weyland replied, signing a few papers his aide had placed before him; "We just need you to take us from the ship to the pyramid and then back to the ship. That's all."

"You make it sound like it's a merry jaunt through the snow. What about inside the pyramid?" Logan questioned; "You said I was needed because-."

"You don't have to worry about that. Once we're on the site we have the best equipment, technology, and experts that money can buy. Besides, we're already here. There isn't really anything the Board of Directors can do to stop me. We will descend into the pyramid with or without your medical expertise or your mountaineering experience." He looked at both women in turn.

"This whole thing seems like it's shaping up to be a very bad idea," Logan replied icily, eyes narrowing dangerously in irritation.

"Mr. Weyland, when I lead my team I don't ever leave my team," There was 'Mama Bear Lex' rearing her head.

"I admire your passion, I really do," Weyland said, sitting back in his seat, briefly making the women wonder if he had changed his mind about the entire thing; "I only wish you two were going with us."

Silence greeted the quartet for several long moments, Lex's eyes trained solely on Weyland's. He said nothing more which indicated the conversation was over. Logan shook her head in disbelief as Lex stormed out of the office, turning her attention to the older man; "You're making a mistake, Mr. Weyland."

"So you consistently see fit to inform me. Now, don't you have to get ready for your flight home?" Logan wisely kept her mouth shut, instead smiling stiffly and exiting the room, shutting the door behind her a bit more violently than necessary.

* * *

Logan strolled casually through the ship, dodging workers as she did so before catching sight of the gorgeous archeologist. Tugging her hair free from its band and fluffing the strands to make it a bit messier ('sex hair' as Lex liked to tease her which Logan could seriously rock when necessary) she strolled over confidently; "Hey."

He glanced up from his laptop, a crooked smile gracing his lips; "Hi."

"I didn't catch your name earlier," she said casually, tucking her hands into the pockets of her jeans and cocking her right hip, setting her bitch-o-meter to arrogant sex goddess.

"That's because I never threw it," Logan arched a brow at his cheeky reply before a slow smile spread over her lips; "My name's Sebastian de Rosa, and you are?" He offered his hand as she went to shake it.

"Logan Perry. Pleasure meet you." He lifted their joined hands, brushing a light kiss against her knuckles.

"The pleasure is all mine, Ms. Perry." Forgoing the urge to giggle girlishly Logan instead smiled once more; "A bit rusty, eh?"

"You could say that," she said sheepishly as he released her hand, a warm blush covering her cheeks; "Is it really that obvious?"

"Not really, but your confidence is very refreshing."

"Thanks, I think," she said, eliciting a chuckle from the blue-eyed hottie in front of her; "Listen, did you happen to see a woman go storming past here? About yay-high-," she indicated with her hand; "-dark skin, has a 'take no prisoners' vibe about her?"

"O-oh, yes actually. Lex, did you call her? I believe she was heading for the observation deck."

"Alright, thanks," Logan was about to turn and leave before feeling his hand rest lightly on her shoulder.

"Perhaps you would appreciate some company?" He asked casually.

"Sure, it's not every day I get to be escorted around by someone as cute as you," she said teasingly, linking her arm with his and thoroughly enjoying the blush that crossed his gorgeous cheekbones.

'_Yep, still got it_,' she thought smugly to herself, leaning against him slightly as they made their way upstairs to the deck.

* * *

Lex's eyes were trained on the horizon, a cool breeze ruffling her hair as she exhaled a quiet sigh. She was torn between doing what was right, which was not leading the team, but she didn't want to leave the crew's lives in the hands of Gerry Murdoch. He had lost over three-quarters of his team his first trip to the summit of Everest, mostly due to falls from inadequately tied knots and poorly placed ice screws which was unacceptable in Lex's eyes. Leaving Murdoch to look after them was like sending lambs to the slaughter.

She chuckled softly at the thought, maybe she was being a bit too dramatic, but she didn't want anyone else's blood on her hands, including Logan's. She didn't think she could live with herself if something bad happened to the spunky blond again. Lex turned her eyes back to the green aurora hanging overhead.

'_What should I do, dad?'_

"Ah, it's in the upper atmosphere. Streams of protons and electrons from the sun being deflected by the earth's magnetic field, causing a solar radiation storm," Graeme suddenly spoke up from her left followed by Logan and Sebastian.

Logan released Sebastian's arm to stand at Lex's right side; "Shackleton once called Antarctica the last great journey left to man. It's the one place left in the world that no one owns. It's completely free." No one missed the longing present in Lex's words as Logan zipped her jacket up to her chin, fixing her insulated headband over her ears beneath her hood.

"I wish you'd reconsider coming with us," Lex glanced over at the engineer who had a teasing smile on his lips; "Come on, don't make me pull out pictures of my kids again." He threatened good-naturedly.

Alexa chuckled; "You're kids aren't that cute."

"Close, but not quite." Logan agreed with a smile.

"What if we got pictures of other people's kids?" The smile faded from Logan's lips at Sebastian's words as both she and Lex realized what he was implying.

Lex inhaled deeply before addressing him; "Want my advice?"

"Mm-hmm," he replied eagerly.

"Stay on the boat." Their enthusiasm vanished as soon as it had come at Lex's words.

"Okay, let me ask you something. Do we stand a better chance of surviving with you…," he trailed off, eyes landing on both her and Lex in turn; "-or with the number two choice?"

"He has a point," The words tasted bitter on Logan's tongue but Sebastian spoke the truth. They did stand a better chance receiving half-assed training from the girls than they did with Murdoch.

"Aren't you supposed to be on my side Lo'?" Lex said almost sourly which had Logan fidgeting guiltily, eyes flickering towards the ground before going to the skies once more.

"Ms. Woods, Ms. Perry," the awkward silence was broken by another blond-haired woman stepping onto the deck; "Your helicopter is refueled. They're waiting for you."

Logan could see the wheels turning in Lex's head, calculating the risk, weighing their options; "It's your call," Logan said softly so only Lex could hear her; "You know I'll always have your back."

Lex looked at her after a moment, a grim smile on her face; "I'll hold you to that then."

* * *

The next day everyone assembled in the hold, waiting for Lex's instructions. Logan spent the time they wasted waiting for everyone to show up taming her hair into some sort of manageable state. She pulled it into low pigtails at the back of her head and twisted them into buns so it was out of her way. She dutifully pinned her bangs back from her eyes before slipping her hot pink beanie on over her insulated headband for extra protection followed by her shatter and fog proof goggles atop her head.

"Everybody listen up! Gather round," Lex called.

"Told you they'd stay-," she heard Graeme whisper to Sebastian; "-they can't resist my animal magnetism."

"Laugh it up Miller, laugh it up." One of the other men said with a roll of his eyes.

"Gentlemen," Logan called over to the trio, getting their attention and purposely ignoring the smile and wink sent her way courtesy of Sebastian. Now wasn't the time for fucking about. Lex inhaled deeply before addressing them all.

"It is my job to keep you alive on this expedition. And I need your help to do that. Since we don't have time to properly train you I'm laying down five simple rules; One, no one goes anywhere alone ever. Two; everyone must maintain constant communication. Three; if you get injured don't try to hide it or play it off. Logan is an EMT, she's trained to handle those sort of things. It's why she's here-," she jerked her thumb towards Logan who waved slightly to indicate who Lex was talking about.

Logan bit her tongue to keep from automatically responding '_Paramedic, not EMT'_, knowing her snarky comments weren't necessary nor would they be welcomed during such an important safety seminar.

"Four, if something were to happen and I'm not around, Logan is in charge which brings us to rule five; unexpected things are gonna happen-."

'_As par for the course_,' Logan thought sourly to herself, right shoulder throbbing faintly as though to remind her about her last disastrous trip with Lex.

"-And when they do, no one tries to be a hero. Understood?"

"Mm-hmm." They murmured halfheartedly.

"Understood?" Logan barked, getting everyone's attention as the group immediately chorused 'yes ma'am' in unison as she knelt, picking up her backpack and first aid kit she had packed herself before the seminar; "That's better. Let's get ready to go."

"Yes ma'am."

* * *

The next two hours were a blur as the crew got the plough trucks up and running. When Logan was speaking with the drill team leader, she caught sight of Lex addressing the blond woman whose name she had discovered was Adele.

"Uh, excuse me for a sec," she said, walking away from Quinn when she saw the pistol in Adele's hands. By the look on the woman's face Logan assumed she had just been subjected to one of Lex's smartass comments.

"What's with the gun? Planning on encountering some rabid penguins?" Logan asked as Adele slid said-gun into her shoulder holster beneath her left arm.

"Same principle as a condom. I'd rather have one and not need it than need it and not have one."

"I can respect that I guess," Logan agreed with a shrug and small smile.

"I'm glad you both decided to stay."

Lex smiled stiffly, nodding her head towards the French woman before they headed for the ploughs; "Nice to know at least one of us is happy about this arrangement."

The group began sorting out who was riding with who. It was almost like elementary school again deciding who was sitting by who on the bus during a field trip; "I call shotgun!"

"Aw, no fair!" Logan whined childishly at Sebastian's words, a small smile playing across her lips as she climbed into the cab, situating herself between Lex and the archeologist; "I call driving on the way back."

Lex scoffed as they pulled their safety harnesses on; "As if Logan."

"I'll rock-paper-scissors you for it later," Logan assured her as the trucks roared to life and began their descent down the ramp across the barren wasteland of ice.

* * *

Well, I said I'd write a longer chapter and there you have it. 3600 words in fact. Next chapter will probably hit the 'M' rating you may or may not have been waiting for. I appear to have been abusing line breaks too lol. Cheers all.


	5. Chapter Four

A/N: My goodness it's been awhile since I've updated but I do have a rather good, if not embarrassing reason, why that is so. You see, last week my friends and I took advantage of the gorgeous weather and went horseback riding. It was my first time riding a horse (the ponies at the county fair that walk in circles on a lead rope don't count) and as you can probably guess I fell off my horse. I put my right hand out to try and catch myself and yeah. The end result was a dislocated elbow which hurt so. Damn. Much. I don't think I've cried so much in a long time. And to top it off I got a tetanus shot on my follow up doctor's visit to the ER because it's been ten years since my last one and they decided to point it out because my doctor, regardless of how cute he is, is a douchebag. So, both my arms hurt and I've been reduced to hen pecking at my keyboard/dictating to my roommate. Anyways, enough of these excuses, let's get on with the story and sorry for the lengthy A/N.

Thanks so, so much to everyone who's reviewed and for the favorites/follows. Thanks for sticking with me through my time of need and if you've left and abandoned me, well, you're missing out (There's my snarky narcissism rearing its ugly head again xD).

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own AVP, Aliens, Predators, or anything associated with the franchise. I only own my cheeky OC (though in hindsight that's probably a good thing) and make no profit from writing this.

* * *

Chapter Four

\/

"-luna del cacciatore."

"La luna del cacciatore?"

"Brava."

"So, what's it mean?"

"Hunter's moon."

Logan opened her eyes groggily, raising her head from Sebastian's shoulder and glancing out the frost-covered window to look up at the sky. The sky was incredibly clear with the moon hanging massively overhead, casting an eerie silver light down on the convoy.

"Have a good nap Lo'?"

Logan responded to Lex's inquisition with an unintelligible though entirely sated purr of; "Mmnh," as she stretched out as much as she could in the small cabin. She heard the other two laugh quietly at her actions before she glanced over at the man she had been using as a pillow.

"What's with the bottle cap?" She asked curiously, seeing the Pepsi-Cola cap on a thin leather strap around his neck.

He went to answer though Lex beat him to it; "It's a valuable archeological find." Lex informed her, smiling teasingly at the olive-skinned male as he blushed slightly.

"It does appear rather ancient," Logan agreed, sitting upright in her seat and fixing her safety harness.

"We're about five minutes away from our destination," Lex informed them, squinting slightly in an attempt to see out the snow-covered windshield.

"Right on," Logan said, scratching the back of her head and stifling another yawn.

"That's an interesting bracelet," she glanced over at Sebastian before glancing down at her right wrist.

"What, this?" She raised her arm, indicating the black and gray woven band; "It's called a paracord or 'survival' bracelet."

Sebastian waited for her to elaborate but when she didn't do so Lex explained what she meant; "It's just ten feet of parachute cord made to look pretty."

"Pretty, yet practical," Logan spoke up as the other trucks in front of them began rolling to easy stops; "Paracord is tough and can support up to 550 pounds of pressure. It has lots of uses, including making emergency boot laces, tying down tents, slings for broken limbs-," she trailed off, smiling slightly at Lex in reminiscence; "-which was some damn quick thinking by the way. It's just a handy thing to have."

"I see-merda!" The trio jumped in alarm at the sound of someone banging on the driver's side window.

"What is it Adele?" Lex asked, opening the door as all the heat was abruptly sucked out of the cab.

"You guys are gonna wanna see this," she said, prompting everyone to shared confused looks though they obediently filed out of the Hagglund, traipsing across the ground to where the others were waiting at the edge of a precipice.

"What is it?" Connors asked curiously as Lex dug her flare gun out of her bag, cocking it and aiming it to the sky. The flare spiraled down lazily, illuminating the burnt-out remains of a small village.

"It's an abandoned whaling station," Lex stated, glancing sideways at Logan who nodded in agreement.

"She's right. According to your satellite imaging Mr. Weyland, the pyramid should be directly below it."

Weyland glanced over at pair before looking back at the village as a steady snow began to fall; "Alright, spread out!" Max called over the wind; "Locate the structures that are most intact. We can use this place as a base camp."

Stafford turned his attention to the drilling team; "Mr. Quinn, begin drilling operations as soon as possible."

"We're on it." As Quinn passed Logan she could've swore she heard him mutter 'prick' under his breath, bringing a smile to her winter-blown lips. Lex strolled by her up the shadowy main street, Miller and Sebastian following suit with Logan lingering at the back of the pack.

The blond glanced over her shoulder upon hearing someone cough behind her, seeing Weyland cupping his mouth, cheeks flush with exertion as a coughing fit racked his body. Arching a slender brow in question, she noticed Max reach his side, resting his hand on the older man's shoulder and ushering him back to the trucks.

"Looks like a Wild West ghost town," Sebastian said suddenly from her left, startling her as she whirled to face him; "A little jumpy, eh?"

Logan scowled but said nothing, instead looking around the buildings which were made out of some sort of rough-hewn timber. There were many smaller shanties in various states of dilapidation; "The only difference I think is that rather than sand and tumbleweeds there's snow and ice."

"Mm," she murmured halfheartedly in agreement. The roofs sagged weakly beneath ten decades of accumulated snow; drifts reaching at least ten feet high had collected between the buildings and buried many of the smaller, more heavily damaged structures.

What Logan noticed the most was the dark shroud that seemed to hang over the place. The whaling station was built at the foot of the mountain and at that time of year a permanent shadow fell over the town. She brushed the torch hanging from her right backpack strap for reassurance but refrained from turning it on and instead wandered down a side road and into one of the buildings with the least damage she could see.

She was forced to shove the door open with her left shoulder as it was nearly frozen shut. Upon entering the small house she turned her flashlight on, the bright beam bouncing off the ice-covered table and chairs, making everything glitter like diamonds. Her breath fogged before her lips as she ducked to avoid a low-hanging rafter, venturing further into the room. A small cast-iron stove sat in the corner with skillets still in place, cutlery and plates on the table.

Logan brushed her gloved fingertips over the whale bone knives, attempting to pick it up only to have it snap in her hand like kindling. She glanced over her shoulder nervously, setting it back down and brushing snow over it to conceal it. With a satisfied nod, Logan turned to leave before nearly suffering a heart attack when she saw the man standing behind her.

"Jesus fucking Christ!" The expletive that burst from her lips wasn't unexpected in the slightest as she spun forward, resting a hand on her chest in an attempt to calm her racing heartbeat. Ignoring the quiet chuckle sounding from behind her Logan inhaled deeply before turning around and giving Sebastian a sharp whack on the chest; "Don't do that again."

"Sorry," he grinned boyishly, a smile that was all dimples as he rubbed his chest lightly to ease the sting; "You hit like a girl."

"My brothers would disagree with you," Logan said frostily, pushing past him gently and onto the snowy streets once more.

"I meant no offense," he said, trailing after her and throwing his arm boldly over her shoulders, trying to pull her close though Logan spun beneath his arm and out of his reach. He arched a brow at that though his smile hadn't faded; "Your brothers teach you that move?"

"Nah, learned that one on my own. Helped me get out of many noogies growing up," she said, a smile stretching over her lips as they continued walking side by side in a comfortable silence.

Tucking her hands into the pockets of her hot pink and black insulated jacket (she refused to wear a yellow one, 'reserved for the newbies' Adele had told poor Thomas; 'easier to spot your corpse when you fall down a crevice and die' and hers fit her like a second skin), Logan turned her eyes to the sky. The moon was hanging so low if felt like you could smack your head on it walking if you didn't duck.

"Why do they call it 'Hunter's moon'?" She asked suddenly, glancing over to Sebastian.

"Hm? O-oh, it's the first full moon after the Harvest Moon. You see many years ago, Native Americans named this bright moon for obvious reasons. The leaves are falling from trees, the deer are fattened, and it's time to begin storing up meat for the long winter ahead. The fields were traditionally reaped in late September or early October so hunters could easily see fox and other animals that came out to glean from the fallen grains."

Logan blinked, cocking her head to the side as they wandered about past a dilapidated processing factory; "That makes sense."

"Because of the threat of winter looming close, the Hunter's Moon is generally accorded with special honor, historically serving as an important feast day in both Western Europe and among many Native American tribes."

"Gotcha, thanks for the history lesson," Logan smiled as she went to take a step forward only to have her arm nearly wrenched from her socket as Sebastian grabbed her and pulled her back against him; "What the fuck-?"

"Careful," he rasped breathlessly, nodding over her head to something she couldn't see. Logan twisted awkwardly in his grasp as he eased his arms from around her waist, allowing her to turn and see what seemed to be a large gaping hole in the ice behind her that she had very nearly stepped into. The pit was perfectly round, declining at a steady angle and if there was a bottom they couldn't see it.

"O-oh," she said lamely, turning her light blue eyes on his whiskey-hued gaze. She cleared her throat, heart still hammering in her chest as she nervously licked her lips (a rather bad habit she had); "Th-thanks."

"My pleasure." She swallowed tightly, clearing her throat again and taking a step to the side, rubbing her right arm and flexing her stiff fingers.

"We should tell the others," he nodded in agreement before turning back the way they came cupping a hand to his mouth;

"Hey! Over here! You're not going to believe what we found!"

Logan rolled her eyes; "Well, I could've done that," she huffed, folding her arms across her chest and turning to look at the pit once more. She didn't recall seeing it on Weyland's satellite imagery the day before so where had it come from…?

* * *

Not two minutes later and everyone was assembled before the pit, for lack of a better term. Logan didn't miss the way everyone's eyes kept going to Quinn and then to the mobile drilling platforms that were still being assembled.

"How the hell did this get here?"

Quinn crouched; "It's drilled at a perfect forty-five degree angle." He pulled off his bulky glove and ran a hand along the sides of the shaft; "Perfectly smooth, slick even."

"How far down does it go?" Lex wondered aloud.

"My guess?" Sven said, igniting a flare and throwing it down. Everyone watched with bated breath as it bounced off the walls and fell until it vanished into the darkness; "All the way…"

"My god," Weyland breathed, turning his attention to Max; "It must be another team. You know I'm not the only one with a satellite over Antarctica. Maybe the Chinese, Russians…?"

"I'm not so sure," Lex said, staring into the gaping abyss.

"What other explanation do you have for this then?"

Logan snorted quietly, the sound not going unnoticed by Weyland who shot her an irritated look; "Look around. Where's their gear? Transports? There were no tracks other than ours in the snow. We're the only ones here."

"How do you explain this then?" Max gestured to the void, as though daring her to disagree with him.

Logan simply shrugged; "You're asking the wrong girl. I'm a medic, not a scientist."

"Max, download the satellite reports from today and yesterday at this time, please."

"Sure thing Mr. Weyland." While Max downloaded the reports, the motley crew began tossing out ideas how the ravine got there.

"Maybe there's a group already down there?"

"How'd they get down there without rope?

"Look at the ice. There are no ridges or marks. These walls are perfectly smooth, this wasn't drilled."

"How was it done?" Miller asked, hugging himself for warmth.

"Thermal equipment I'd have to say."

"Like yours?"

Quinn chuckled softly; "More advanced, incredibly powerful." He turned his flashlight beam on a building close to the group. A large circular hole had been punched straight through the structure, vaporizing the walls and melting the machinery still present in the factory. It was obvious from the trajectory that whatever had cut through the ice had also sliced through the building.

"This wasn't here yesterday," Weyland announced when Max returned with the printouts. Everyone crowded around the billionaire, looking at the papers in awe.

"So whoever cut this shaft did it in less that twenty-four hours," Miller said, squinting at the time printed on the map.

"That's not possible," Quinn protested once more; "I'm telling you, there's no team and no machine in this world that could cut to this depth in 24 hours."

Against her better judgment Logan spoke up; "Maybe they're from out of this world?" Her words elicited sour looks from the majority of the people present.

"Your smartass comments are unwanted and unnecessary at this time," Lex hissed in her ear though Logan simply smirked.

"I couldn't help myself."

"You never can."

"Well, the only way we're going to know for sure is to get down there and find out." Weyland said, getting everyone's attention before he coughed. He suddenly doubled over as Logan instinctively took a step forward only for Max to give her a look that clearly read 'mind your own business'. Spasms wracked his body before the older man finally regained control of his breathing; "Let's get to work. I want to know what's down there and I want to know in the next few hours."

"Yes sir."

* * *

The area around the hole swarmed with activity. More Hagglund trucks had been moved up and turned the never-ending dark into day with their high powered flood lights. Teams began unloading coils of rope and a multiple winch and pulley system mounted on a metal tripod had been assembled directly over the mouth of the pit.

When the two mountaineers had finished hammering pitons into the ice for safety lines they wove their way through the throng of roughnecks to the lead Hagglund. Logan climbed in the driver's side, Lex in the passenger's, spotting Charles Weyland gulping oxygen from a portable tank. They shut the doors behind them to keep the heat in the cab.

He was startled by their sudden arrival, lowering the mask from his face, looking to each woman in turn; "It seems you ladies have caught me a bit…indisposed…," he croaked weakly.

"How bad is it?" Logan asked, sitting by his side and locking her eyes on his.

Weyland looked at her through eyes clouded by chronic pain; "Bad."

"There's no room for sick men on this expedition."

"My doctors tell me the worst is behind me."

Lex sighed tiredly at his stubbornness; "You're not a very good liar. You should stay on the ship. We'll update you at the top of every hour.

"The cold will only aggravate your cough." Logan chimed in.

Weyland crossed the cabin, concealing the tank in a storage bin; "You know, when you get sick you think about your life and how you're going to be remembered. You know what I realized would happen when I go, which will be very soon I suspect?" Logan couldn't help but cringe at the grim words; "A ten percent fall in Weyland Industries share prices, maybe twelve though I could be flattering myself."

Weyland slumped into a seat; "The dip in stock prices should last about a week, just long enough for the Board and the Street to realize they can get along perfectly well without me. And that will be that. Forty years on this earth and nothing to show for it." He nodded to the activity outside; "This is my chance to leave a legacy. To leave my mark-."

"Even if it kills you?" The iciness in Lex's voice surprised Logan as the billionaire reached out and squeezed her arm reassuringly;

"You won't let that happen."

"You can't go," Logan said firmly; "You're not physically able-."

"I need this."

Lex sighed; "I've heard the speech before. My dad broke his leg seven hundred feet from the summit of Mount Rainier. He was like you- stubborn as all hell –and he wouldn't go back or let us stop…," she paused, swallowing tightly as the memories returned along with the sadness.

"We reached the top and he opened a bottle of champagne. I had my first drink with my dad at fourteen thousand four hundred feet. On the way down he developed a blood clot in his leg that traveled to his lung. He suffered for four hours before dying twenty minutes from base camp." Lex swiped the tears from her cheeks that had spilled from her eyes.

"Do you think that's the last thing your dad remembered?" Lex looked up at Weyland; "The pain? Or drinking champagne with his daughter fourteen thousand feet in the air?"

The corners of Lex's lips lifted upwards in a ghost of a smile at his words before it vanished as her eyes landed on Logan's; "We should go finish setting the pitons up."

"Okay," With that Lex exited the truck, leaving Logan alone with Weyland; "You shouldn't go."

"I know."

"It will only hasten your death."

"I realize."

Logan chewed her lower lip; "Can I say nothing that will persuade you otherwise?"

"No."

Logan sighed, standing from the driver's seat; "Can't blame a girl for trying."

A weary smile crossed Weyland's lips as he rested his hand on her shoulder, halting her movements for a moment; "Thank you." She remained silent, opening the door and disappearing into the frigid air.

* * *

"This seems like a bad life decision," Logan muttered, securing her crampons over her climbing boots; "They don't have properly fitting crampons for everyone."

"You have to give them some credit for knowing what crampons are at least," Lex said, standing and pulling her backpack on, Logan following suit. The duo traipsed across the snow, the spikes giving them necessary traction as they began fitting everyone in their harnesses and attached them to the safety lines and the winch. After some words of wisdom and a quick lesson the group began descending the tunnel.

Lex and Logan had decided to split up the duties as they rappelled; Lex would supervise the descent, which meant swing-running from her safety line and making sure no ropes were snarled while Logan would make sure the two dozen people making the descent were keeping pace.

Logan didn't miss the way Lex kept glancing at Weyland. They both had their doubts as to whether or not he was up to the task but so far he was keeping pace with the rest of the group. She saw Lex swing over to Weyland, speaking to him as she steadied herself until Stafford rappelled himself to Weyland's side, followed by two huge men with shaved heads and the W.I. logo on their gray Polartec outerwear.

Logan reached Lex's side with ease; "Quinn said there's a storm headed our way."

"Will it affect us?" Weyland asked.

"We're six hundred feet under the ice, Mr. Weyland. Quinn could be setting off an atom bomb up there and we'd never notice," Lex slapped Weyland good-naturedly on the back before descending further down the shaft to check on Miller.

It was an uneventful descent until they reached seven hundred feet. The rope that was lowering Weyland jerked tight. The jolt was so powerful that he was slammed against the wall. The wind knocked out of him, he tried to push himself away from the wall when a second jerk of the rope snapped his safety harness and sent him plunging down the shaft.

"Man down!" Logan yelled, attempting to reach for Weyland only to be knocked off her feet as he slid into her legs, her right shoulder connecting with an audible crack with the ice beneath her. She grunted in pain, slamming her spikes into the ice to right herself; "Lex, heads up!"

Lex glanced up at the sound of Logan's hoarse voice in time to see Weyland sliding towards her. Just as he was about to pass her she plunged her axe into the ice, catching him by the hood as he gasped at the sudden halt in his fall. They looked at each other breathlessly for a moment until Lex spoke; "Having second thoughts? It's not too late to go back up."

Weyland managed a shaky smile; "With you taking such good care of me Ms. Woods? I wouldn't dream of it."

Stafford keyed in the transceiver, shouting into it; "What the hell is going on up there Quinn?"

* * *

Bouvetøya Island, Whaling Station, Topside

\/

Shreds of an insulated tent had become entangled in the winch. Quinn examined the pulley mechanism, raising the radio to his lips; "It's just the storm, sir," he said loudly enough to be heard over the wind; "A jam in the winch caused by debris."

He waited for a response. Needless to say it didn't take too long.

"Well, see that it doesn't happen again," Stafford said in a clipped, angry voice.

"It won't," he promised, breaking the connection; "English asshole…"

Powerful winds rolled down the mountain and slammed into the whaling station with lethal impact. Quinn struggled against the punishing blows of the gusts and snow stinging his skin, barking orders at his men until he was hoarse.

"Get that vehicle tied down!" He roared as a Hagglund was nearly toppled onto its side, scanning the snow-blasted area and directing his men to the only shelter available; "Get inside the buildings!"

While the crew hurried to the houses Quinn took one last look at the pit before pausing. He could've sworn he heard something, an almost savage-sounding howl carried on the wind but none of the crew made any motion that indicated they had heard it too.

As he entered one of the shanties he came across five of Weyland's 'security detail' busily unpacking long crates and suiting up for battle.

"What the hell is going on here?" He demanded.

"Just doing our job," Sven shrugged; "I suggest you stick to yours, Quinn." The men began fussing with submachine guns, rifles, knives, and an assortment of other high-grade weaponry.

"Weyland wants the area secured."

"From what?"

"Claim jumpers," a burly man Quinn knew as Klaus stated; "The Russians, the Chinese, another corporation. There could be anyone out there."

Quinn arched a brow incredulously; "No, I'm pretty sure there's no one out there." He indicated to the storm raging outside.

As he turned to leave Klaus stopped him; "Where are you going?"

"To check on the Hagglunds. I have to job to do after all."

Klaus released his arm as Quinn disappeared into the snow; "Feh," he spat onto the ground, turning to his fellow mercenaries; "I don't trust him."

"You don't trust anyone," Sven said with a roll of his eyes when Klaus exited the small house.

* * *

Trudging through the snow Klaus glanced from side to side, holding his Eagle at the ready before hearing a loud crack as a plank was torn from one of the houses. He chuckled uneasily to himself, unlatching the safety for reassurance and continued walking his assigned route.

Through the whirling snow he spotted a figure moving through the whiteness; "Hold it right there!"

The shape continued to approach, shimmering in the storm.

"Quinn?"

No answer and still it came closer.

"Identify yourself!"

The figure paused and Klaus squinted for a better look. He blinked, finger tense on the trigger.

There were two shapes now.

"I said identify yourself!"

They continued to advance on him silently.

Had they been friendlies Klaus figured they would've answered by now. He leveled his gun, targeting the featureless shape and squeezed the trigger.

He managed to pop off one round before feeling a heavy pressure between his shoulder blades and something wet on his lips. Reaching upwards he touched his lips, gloved fingers coming away slick with blood. He coughed weakly, unable to breathe before white-hot pain suddenly surged through his entire being. He found himself lifted off a few feet off the ground as what looked like two silver blades jutted out from his chest.

Unable to call out for help, let alone breathe, the mercenary found himself choking to death on his own blood. The blades slid free with a sickening wet noise as he fell to the ground, blood staining the snow around him crimson before a hand grabbed his head, the size of it nearly engulfing his skull and wrenching Klaus to his knees.

The last sound he heard aside from his wet choked-back breaths was something akin to an oddly metallic, trilling-sounding purr before blood gushed from his throat in an almost macabre fountain of sorts as his head was cleanly separated from his body…

* * *

Teaser at the end. This chapter was getting so damn long (four thousand words in fact) and I needed somewhere to cut it off (no pun intended). I hope you enjoyed it as I liked writing it. I'm not terribly good at writing fight scenes though as you can tell so I hope I did the AVP franchise some justice with Klaus' death. Till next time. Cheers everyone.

Chapter Inspiration:

Where Did the Angels Go by Papa Roach, Good Day to Die by Godsmack, and Undead by Hollywood Undead (not one of my favorite bands but I like the song and the beat, gets you in the mood to write Predator ass-kicking action ((that and because of all the swearing lol))).


	6. Chapter Five

A/N: Thank you so much to everyone who's reviewed/followed/favorited (I know, it's not a word but it should be) this story. I wasn't expecting such a huge reader response actually and to find that people are enjoying it makes me so happy. This chapter is dedicated to my lovely roommate who I'm dictating this to for her incredible patience in putting up with me and typing this out.

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own AVP, Aliens, Predators, or anything associated with the franchises, only my snarky OC and I make no profit writing this.

* * *

Chapter Five

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"Wow…"

Those were the only words Logan could think of to say as she looked around the ice cavern they were in. The remainder of the descent had passed by uneventful after Weyland's little incident thank goodness and everyone was unstrapping themselves from their safety harnesses and unloading cases of lights from the electric sled.

She lit a flare, illuminating everything in an eerie red glow and took a few cautious steps forward. Snow crunched softly under her boots, her spikes giving her the purchase necessary to walk on the slick surface as she heard the other members of the expedition curse and slip and slide behind her.

Just as her flare went out she went to switch on her flashlight only to jump in surprise when another flare was ignited beside her. She gave Lex a sour look which only made the guide smile in response.

"I don't get it. No equipment, no sign of another team," Weyland sighed, unable to get his mind around how the tunnel got there.

"Well, the tunnel didn't dig itself," Lex said, hearing the crew setting up crates behind her.

"Alright, let's get some light in here!"

"How do those cables look?"

"Nobody's responding to us from up top but the generator's still working," Connors said, touching the wires together as a spark leapt between them; "We have power."

"Light her up then."

All at once, multiple banks of halogen floodlights came to life. For a few seconds the sudden brilliance and reflections of the ice blinded them all.

"Oh my god."

Logan lowered her hand that had been shielding her eyes at Lex's gasp, turning to see what she had spotted and was unable to keep her jaw from dropping;

"Holy sh-."

"It's incredible," Sebastian breathed, instantly transfixed.

"This is amazing!" Miller cried, eyes wide with excitement.

"You can say that again," Logan murmured, her own eyes just slightly smaller than tea saucers.

A massive pyramid towered over them, the top brushing the roof of the cavern. The structure had smooth sides and a narrow stairway comprised of hundreds of steps running up the front side. The steps, shimmering with a layer of ice, lead to a flattened pinnacle at the top.

"Congratulations Mr. Weyland," Lex's voice broke the stunned silence everyone had fallen into; "Looks like you'll be leaving your mark after all."

Weyland took a step forward, than another before resting a hand on Lex's shoulder; "Thank you." He then turned to face the group; "Thank you all for this," he sounded surprisingly energetic; "Let's make history."

While Connors and Dane secured what would be their base camp, the others gathered equipment- flashlights, lanterns, flares, cameras, walkie-talkies, chronometers and compasses, a first aid kid (packed and carried by Logan, naturally), plenty of canteens and a few nonperishable provisions.

As they were getting ready to depart the grotto Lex turned to address Logan, only to find she was no longer behind her. Frowning, Lex wandered around the small camp in search of her friend. She eventually found her leaning against a wall of ice away from the group, recapping a small orange bottle and shoving it back in her backpack.

"Does your shoulder hurt?" Logan looked up, startled by Lex's appearance as she choked down a few painkillers dry before answering.

"It's stiff," Logan admitted, knowing there was no use trying to hide anything from Lex; "Weyland knocking me down didn't help it either."

"You gonna be alright?"

"I'm still upright and above dirt. I'm fine," Lex pursed her lips at Logan's casual reply but said nothing more, instead turning to catch up with the group.

"Don't do that again," she scolded Logan as they fell into step alongside one another.

"Do what?"

"Disappear like that."

Logan cringed guiltily; "Sorry."

"I'm serious," Lex insisted, running her hands through her hair in agitation before replacing her hat and leaning towards Logan, dropping her voice so only they could hear; "If I lose you it's just me and the damn tourists."

A grin spread over Logan's lips at Lex's words; "Sorry mama bear." Lex just sighed lightly as they reached the rest of the group and began to ascend the staircase.

Upon reaching the pyramid's yawning entrance, they found that the doorway was narrow but very high. Through it the pyramid opened into a long corridor lined with hieroglyphics and pictographs etched into the stonework.

"I recognize the Egyptian, but not the other two," Thomas said, tracing out the ancient writing with his flashlight beam.

"The second line is Aztec, pre-conquest era. The third is Cambodian," Sebastian announced, running his fingertips over the raised carvings before looking up to find Logan watching him; "Impressed?"

The corners of her lips lifted into a small smile he almost immediately mirrored; "Maybe."

"You were right. The pyramid does contain all three cultures it seems," Weyland interjected.

The archaeologist shrugged; "Looks like it."

"It says…'you may…ch-choose…to enter'," Thomas said, looking at Logan triumphantly which had her ducking her head to hide another grin; "'Those who choose may enter'."

"Who taught you to translate?" Sebastian asked, gazing at the inscription.

"Funny, he kinda looked like you."

Thomas's remark had the entire group chuckling quietly before Sebastian corrected him; "It's not 'choose', it's 'chosen'. 'Only the chosen ones may enter'." The group fell silent at his declaration. Logan shot Lex an uneasy glance though the older woman simply smiled reassuringly.

"Alright, let's get going," she announced as Verheiden pushed Thomas aside and moved forward into the pyramid. The first step he took however landed his foot on an ornate stone tile, a soft click eliciting from it as a hidden trigger was activated. No one was none the wiser however as the team moved across the threshold and further into the entranceway.

* * *

Bouvetøya Island, Whaling Station, Topside

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"Oh, god. Oh god, oh god, oh god," The two words continuously fell from Quinn's lips as he stumbled across the snow-packed ground, an unearthly growl sounding from somewhere to his left as he clutched at his wounded arm. He had been in the middle of retying one of the trucks down when he heard the first gunshot. Quinn had raced back to camp upon hearing a cacophony of gunfire erupt.

Quinn had been gone less than five minutes but when he returned there was no one to be found, no one alive at least. Bloody bodies and hacked-off limbs greeted him, as well as something massive, formless, and to top it all off-

Invisible.

He blundered along only to run into something dangling from the roof above. He fell back, getting a good look at what was left of Klaus –only identifiable by the name tag on his left breast. He was strung up by his ankles and where his head used to be there was only long red-black icicles flowing from a ragged stump.

Choking back a cry of alarm and disgust, he saw beyond Klaus the remainder of his team strung up by their feet, swaying in the wind.

He gagged, looking away before spying something silver gleaming in the snow; Klaus's Desert Eagle.

No sooner did his fingers close on the handle did Quinn sense something at his back. Instinctively he turned, squeezing off a shot. The gun bucked in his grasp, the kickback nearly sending it flying from his hand and over the raging wind and snow he heard a roar of pain and anger. Eerily enough, Quinn saw the bullet had punched a green hole in the invisible shape that was advancing on him. At his feet luminous green liquid stained the ice.

Something told him that shooting the thing was a really bad life decision…

His hypothesis was proven correct when he lurched to his feet and tried to run, managing all of two steps before something akin to a train crashed into his side, slamming him to the ground. Quinn pitched headfirst into the snow, rolling onto his back and aiming the handgun only to find it smacked out of his grip. He tried to crawl away when something connected hard with his lower leg, snapping the bones in two with a sickening crack like a gunshot that could be heard over the roaring wind.

The invisible foot lashed out again, the blow cracking Quinn's ribs and sending him spiraling down the two-thousand foot ice shaft.

The cloaked Predator hopped onto the tripod mounted above the pit, still able to hear the ooman's muffled screams as he bounced off the ice walls.

"Pauk-de," he spat in annoyance, green blood bubbling up from the now-visible wound in his chest. He heard energy crackle behind him as the two other Yautja uncloaked.

"Was that entirely necessary Sa'jith?"

Sa'jith snorted, rolling his eyes; "Of course it was Shi'kar," the youngest member of their party spoke up, earning himself a sharp cuff to the back of the head for his cheek.

"Ki'cte, Ch'pal," Sa'jith growled, turning his attention back to the small computer mounted on his forearm as a small holographic image appeared before them.

"The oomans tripped the sensor," Shi'kar commented as they gathered close to examine the map of the pyramid complex. In the center of the three dimensional grid, just below the heat signatures of the oomans there was a shaft leading down to the lowest level where the entire reason behind their chiva lay waiting.

"M-di h'chak, m-di h'dlak," Sa'jith said, speaking the words that his Sire had said to him before they left for the hunt. His brothers nodded their agreement, clasping each other on the shoulder before cloaking themselves and jumping down the shaft.

* * *

Definitions:

Pauk-de: roughly translated to 'fucker'

Ki'cte: enough [spoken as if to say 'shut up' since I couldn't find the Yautja equivalent of the phrase]

M-di h'chak, m-di h'dlak: no mercy, no fear

Chiva: trial

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Can you guess who's who of our Yautja…? Probably, it's not really that hard to figure out when I think about it. I like using Hindu names (or rough interpretations of them at least) for my Predators, they are wonderfully exotic and it's hard trying to figure out character names without overusing ones already existing in canon. Anyways, there's another chapter down, a short chapter, but a chapter nonetheless. Next one things really start picking up as the team delves deeper into the pyramid. Oh, and bonus points to whoever caught the movie reference in there, one of my favorites in fact.


	7. Chapter Six

A/N: Ah, sorry about the wait for this chapter. I just finished a seven-day work week, numerous grueling hours of physical therapy, and I wasn't feeling motivated to do any writing. I also had a job interview that I had to prepare for and I'm rather nervous that I won't get the job because things like that rarely work out in my favor. The woman interviewing me says 'we'll call you later next week after we finished with the other interviews' and I gave her just a completely blank look. You're not supposed to tell me that, you're supposed to say 'congratulations, you're hired, when can you start?'*sighs* Anyways, more AVP for you guys and Logan kinda-sorta meets her love interest~! Well, eventual love interest anyways. Enjoy. Oh, and thanks to each and every one of you that's either reviewed/followed/favorite-d this story so far and if you haven't, why not…? =)

* * *

Disclaimer: I do not own AVP, Alien, or Predator (which is probably a good thing too). I only own Logan and make no profit from writing this in any way, shape, form and/or xenotype.

* * *

Chapter Six

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"Did you hear that?" Logan glanced up at Lex's words, turning her attention from one of the pictographs on the wall depicting what she assumed was some poor bastard's beheading by a strange creature with a crab-like face. Lex's head was cocked to the side as though she was listening hard for something.

The medic arched a brow before shaking her head, unable to hear anything over the group's excited chatter; "Nah, why?"

"Just thought I-never mind. Let's get moving," she called out to the group, placing a small halogen lamp on an outcropping to light their path; "These'll burn for about six hours so we'll be able to find our way back."

With their way lit by halogen strobe lamps, lanterns, and flashlights the group continued their journey through the pyramid before coming to a large round room. Bodies were laid out on stone slabs in a circular fashion with a shallow bowl placed where their heads lay.

"What is this place?" Weyland asked.

"Sacrificial chamber," Sebastian informed the group.

"Yeah, just like the Aztecs and the Egyptians. Whoever built this pyramid believed in ritual sacrifice. This is where the chosen ones were offered to the gods," Logan nearly snorted a laugh at Thomas' words.

"Chosen ones indeed," she muttered, the beam of her flashlight landing on a stack of human remains; "Look at this, the skull and entire spinal column is still intact even after being removed from the body."

Logan's speculations were interrupted by a long, lingering howl that echoed in the chamber around them. The sound continued for another moment before fading.

"Did you hear that?" Lex asked.

"Air maybe? Moving through the tunnels?" Miller suggested.

"Doesn't sound like any air I've ever heard," Logan replied, looking around the chamber as Sebastian began examining the remains.

"Those that were chosen would lie here. They weren't bound or tied in any way. They went to die willingly. It was considered a great honor," he said.

Lex scoffed quietly, eyeing the gaping holes in their chest cavities; "Lucky them."

Thomas stepped up beside her, taking several pictures before trying his hand at translating once more; "'They gave their lives so the hunt could begin'."

Lex and Logan exchanged a look at those words as Adele wandered over to the group, eyeing the corpse; "What happened here?"

"Hm? O-oh, it's common in ritual sacrifice to take the heart of the victim," Thomas said with a shaky smile.

"That's nice," she stated, looking down at the slab once more; "But that's not where you're heart is."

"She's right," Logan said, running her fingers over the rib bones protruding from the poor bastard's chest; "The bones are bent straight out, almost like something…broke out of this body." Her grim observation brought an equally grim smile to her lips before hearing Lex speak up.

"The ambient temperature in here is a lot warmer than ground level," she announced; "You can take off your jackets."

A unanimous sigh of relief met the guide's ears as everyone began shedding their bulky outerwear, dumping their stuff in a huge pile. Lex shed her coat until she was down to her bright red cold-weather pantsuit, Logan doing the same except her pants were black and gray with her usual hot pink and black thermal, waterproof jacket.

"What have you found Max?" They turned as one to see the man drop a glow stick through the grate on the floor, seeing it fall for a while before hitting the bottom.

"Looks like a shaft to another level," he announced, turning to face his employer; "There's another room down there."

"Well, let's move to that room then," Weyland suggested as the group began repacking their gear and donning their backpacks.

While everyone was getting situated Logan peeked her head into the next corridor, Lex and Sebastian at her side.

"Leaving the bones behind?" Lex asked.

"Thomas will take care of that end of things. He's the type of archaeologist who's half-coroner. Anyway, Weyland ordered him to remain in the chamber and catalog everything."

"Nice of him."

"Thomas won't mind, Adele is staying behind with him. They could get acquainted."

Logan snorted softly at his words, casting her flashlight beam around the dreary corridor, a wry smile on her lips as she eyed the skulls hanging on the wall that seemed to be smiling at them; "And in such a romantic place too…"

* * *

After nearly twenty minutes of walking Lex finally checked her compass, glancing upwards as they reached the glow stick Max had dropped; "We should be directly below the sacrificial chamber."

"Uh, Sebastian…?" The archeologist glanced upwards when Logan spoke up, following her gaze to what appeared to be a large stone sarcophagus.

"It's a sarcophagus," Logan nearly rolled her eyes, having already come to that conclusion herself as he brushed dust and small pebbles off the surface; "It is the Aztec calendar, and this looks like some kind of combination lock. Days, months, years. The dials are set for…1904…?"

Lex shared a raised eyebrow with him as everyone crowded around the sarcophagus.

"So, what? Somebody opened this a hundred years ago?" Lex asked.

"What's todays date?"

"October 10th."

"10/10/2004," Sebastian murmured, resting his fingers on the dials and beginning to turn them.

"Are you sure this is gonna work?" Weyland asked skeptically.

"I don't know," Sebastian replied honestly. As soon as he rotated the last dial a plume of smoke elicited from the sarcophagus as it popped open, the lid sliding apart; "Stay back, we have no idea what's in there."

From a safe distance they watched the lid open completely and slide to a smooth stop. Weyland arched a brow; "Well, Professor De Rosa, you're the expert. What do you suggest now?"

"We draw straws to see who goes and checks it out?" Logan suggested, craning her head to try and see what was inside but there was no way to do so without looking directly into it from above apparently.

"Everybody else stay back," Sebastian ordered them, causing Lex to share a slight smile with Logan as he cautiously moved forward. "My god," he breathed, looking into the tomb; "Take a look at this."

Everyone shuffled forward cautiously before peering into the casket; "Any idea what these are?" Miller spoke up, seeing what appeared to be three futuristic-looking artifacts.

"None," the archaeologist sighed.

Logan quirked a brow, tilting her head before looking up at Sebastian; "They kinda look like…well, guns."

"It's a good thing we brought the experts," Max said scathingly with a roll of his eyes.

"Well yeah, it is a good thing. I didn't see you have any idea how to open this thing," Logan replied icily, getting real sick of his pompous attitude.

"Definitely a good thing," Miller agreed, eyes shining with excitement as he looked over one of the artifacts; "This is like finding the equivalent of Moses' DVD collection."

As soon as the words left Miller's lips Weyland turned from the group, overcome by a coughing fit. Logan left Miller's side, going to the older man's aid; "Are you alright Mr. Weyland?" She asked in a low tone of voice as he doubled over slightly. She rested one hand on his back, the other gently on his left shoulder, coaxing him upright; "Try and stand up straight if you can, it will keep your airways open."

"I'm fine, just a little too much excitement," he rasped, taking a pull from his inhaler and exhaling a shaky breath, involuntarily leaning his body against hers.

Logan met Lex's eyes over his head as they nodded in unspoken agreement; "Okay, we've been out long enough for today. We're gonna set up base camp tonight at the whaling station and get back at it tomorrow morning." Lex announced to the men as they turned incredulous looks her way.

"Well you can go back to the base camp Miss Woods but we're staying here," Max said with what Logan assumed was supposed to be a charming smile as he turned his attention back to the artifacts.

"No," Lex said firmly, clearly tired of the man usurping her authority; "You wanted to leave without proper prep, we did. You wanted to be the first ones here, we are. You've claimed the find, it's yours. Now we move as a team and we're done for the day."

'_You go Lex, someone's got to put him in his place_,' Logan thought smugly to herself as Weyland looked over at Stafford.

"You heard her," he said breathlessly.

"Well, what do you want us to do with these?" Max gestured to the relics.

"Take them, we can run further tests on them on the surface," As soon as the words left Weyland's lips the objects were being lifted out of the sarcophagus by the other two men.

"W-wait! I've seen plenty of Indiana Jones movies to know that nothing good comes from taking artifacts out of ancient tombs and pyramids," Logan said worriedly.

"She's right, don't touch them," Sebastian said only to have Max meet his eyes with a smug smirk as he lifted the third piece out. Silence greeted the group for a moment before the metal cradle that had been holding the artifacts slammed closed, sinking into the sarcophagus. A loud rumble echoed around them as the walls began to move.

"The door!" Lex cried, running for the entrance only to have a stone slab fall from the ceiling and seal it closed.

"What's going on?!" Connors yelled over the cacophony of sliding rock and grinding gears and seconds later there was no escape.

* * *

"Okay, don't panic," Logan said quietly to herself, the feeling of claustrophobia overwhelming and nearly making her physically ill. She clutched her torch tighter to her chest, taking shallow breaths in an attempt to keep from both hyperventilating and retching down her front.

"You alright?" Miller asked her quietly, noticing how restless she seemed as he rested a hand gingerly on her shoulder which she abruptly shook off.

"'m fine," she muttered, hugging herself around the middle as she begun to pace. There weren't many things that scared Logan Perry, having been in her fair share of terrifying situations before but she had never been a fan of tight enclosed spaces. Especially ones that happened to be 2000 feet under the surface of the earth.

"If you insist," she didn't miss the worry in his voice as he turned his attention back to Lex who was warily eyeing a stone staircase that had appeared during the initial shift before hearing gunfire erupt over their heads before falling abruptly silent.

"What the hell-?"

"Contact Adele and Thomas," Lex ordered the men who immediately brought their walkie-talkies to their lips in an attempt to raise their comrades but to no avail.

Lex then rounded on Weyland; "Is there anything you didn't tell us about this place?"

"No, nothing at all," he sounded as confused as everyone else felt, leading her to believe he wasn't lying.

"How could the ancients have constructed something like this?" Lex demanded.

"Clearly they had help."

"From who? The little green men?" Logan said in a rather snarky tone; "Aliens from outer space?"

"Well whatever it is, we're not prepared for it," Lex shot Logan a warning look as the medic began pacing agitatedly once more; "We're going to round up the rest of the team and get to the surface."

Meanwhile, Max and the three other security members began pulling guns out of the cases they had been carrying. Lex's eyes went wide in confusion and annoyance; "What the hell are you doing?"

"My job, Miss Woods," Max stated crisply, snapping the collapsible stock to his SMG in place; "Your job is over."

"My job is over when everyone is back on the boat safely," she shot back, eyes narrowing dangerously; "And that gun doesn't change anything."

Stafford looked to his boss; "Mr. Weyland?"

Weyland looked at Lex and then Max; "She brought us here, she's getting us home. You and your crew back her up." Max then turned his attention to Logan, taking one of the artifacts from Connors and holding it out to her.

"I don't want this."

"We don't have room to carry it in our backpacks."

"So?"

"Logan, just take it," Lex sighed exasperatedly, rubbing her forehead as a headache began throbbing behind her eyes.

"Fine, but I'm not happy about it," Logan muttered, unzipping her bag and stowing the odd weapon in the main compartment alongside her first aid kit and other provisions.

Once everyone had assembled at the top of the newly-appeared staircase Lex checked her wrist compass; "This bearing should take us back to the entrance-."

"Preoperative word being 'should'," Logan muttered to herself low enough so no one could else could hear.

"We make it to the surface and we'll regroup at the whaling station," Lex continued.

"What about Thomas and Rousseau?" Sebastian asked worriedly.

Lex glanced at him before looking away; "We'll find them on the way out, let's move."

* * *

Mere minutes after Lex and the rest of the expedition group departed the chamber, a seemingly immovable stone wall rose into the ceiling, a shimmering blur appearing at the doorway of the chamber.

Blue lightning crackled as Sa'jith uncloaked, stalking towards the open sarcophagus, a low clicking sound reverberating deep in his throat. However, standing over the now-empty weapons bin the clicking morphed into an angry rolling growl.

"It's empty," Ch'pal was treated to yet another whack in the head courtesy of his eldest brother.

"Thank you for stating the obvious," Sa'jith growled, hearing Shi'kar uncloak and appear to his right, tapping the computer keypad on his wrist. A hum of energy elicited from behind his mask, a red ray emanating from the eye slits.

He utilized the thermal sensor built into his mask to scan the floor for any residual energy. After a few moments he spotted the residual heat of footprints left behind by the oomans before they moved on.

"They have taken the sivk'va-tai's," he growled in annoyance. Only natural, he supposed; anything to make their chiva harder than it already would be.

"They left less than five minutes ago, we will be able to catch up with them in no time."

The three Unblooded youths activated their camouflage once more before taking off down the stone stairway in pursuit of their prey.

* * *

After walking for a few minutes the group came to a large open hallway, lined with stone statues on the outcropping above their heads.

"Recognize what's on their shoulders?" Lex said, turning her gaze to Sebastian.

"Yeah," he said breathlessly.

"We worshipped these things?" Max said in stunned disbelief.

"According to this we did," the archeologist said, running his fingers over a set of hieroglyphs etched into the wall; "It seems that the artifacts you removed from the sarcophagus are their weapons."

"Called it," Logan sighed, casting her flashlight over the huge statues before down at the ground.

"Let's keep moving, only 200 yards to the entrance," Lex announced as Logan crouched to tie her right boot. Stone wandered past her as she did so before Logan felt a faint rush of air and his gun clattered to the ground right in front of her only when she looked up he was nowhere to be found.

Logan's breath lodged in her throat as she staggered upright, hearing Max demand; "Where's Stone?"

Everyone's attention was turned on her; "I-I dunno! He walked past me when I was tying my boots and he just-," Logan gestured wildly with her hands; "He's gone!"

"Take cover!" Max ordered them as Logan scampered beside Peters. Green laser sights bounced off every surface before Peters realized his sight had landed not on a statue but on a sentient being.

Of course, his realization was short lived as he was abruptly treated to what appeared to be a spear to the gut. Rapid gunshots were echoing around the large corridor as Logan caught sight of something massive leaping over their heads before it vanished. It had to be at least seven feet tall, maybe more even.

"The door! Run!" Lex cried as the walls began shifting once more. Logan staggered upright away from Peters body, running towards her friend only to have the floor abruptly open up beneath her.

Logan's elbows smashed painfully into the ground as her fingers scrabbled for purchase on the smooth stone. Breath coming in labored gasps she managed to cry out for her friend; "Alex!"

Lex immediately turned at the sound of Logan's voice, seeing the tips of her fingers clutching onto the edge of the trap floor she had triggered.

"Logan!" She yelled, trying to run towards her only to have Sebastian grab her around the waist and keep her from doing so as the door began to slide closed and sealed them off from one another.

Logan grunted, digging her fingers into the stone so hard they had begun to bleed, attempting to pull herself up only to see an odd distortion in the air before her. It reminded her of a heat haze but it had a shape to it. The shape suddenly filled and Logan found herself staring up at a massive green-skinned beast standing before her.

It was wearing a dark mask, a mesh bodysuit covering the majority of its skin along with what seemed to be an armored plate covering its impossibly broad chest with what she assumed was a leather loin cloth secured to its hips. Long dreadlocks hung down its back and on its arms it wore what appeared to be wrist gauntlets.

It raised its right arm, ejecting two long, incredibly sharp looking blades from said-gauntlet. Logan swallowed tightly, glancing down to the darkness below her before looking back up at the beast.

'_Pick your poison_,' she heard a small voice say mockingly in her head and against her better judgment she let go of the precipice just as those sharp blades came swinging her way.

A shriek of pain escaped the medic as they tore into her left forearm, slicing off bits of her bangs even as she fell, breath lodging in her throat and making it impossible to scream. Her descent was surprisingly (and thankfully) short-lived as Logan's back connected with something solid beneath her. A grunt of pain escaped her, breath surging from her lungs as she rolled listlessly to one side, off the tomb she had just landed on and onto the cold ground.

She welcomed the blackness that engulfed her vision as she fell unconscious but not before she heard what sounded like an odd rolling purr echo in her ears as the trap door slid closed overhead.

* * *

Translations:

sivk'va-tai's: Plasma casters

Chiva: Trial

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Long chapter, just for you guys. Well, kinda long in my opinion. Sorry for any grammar errors that I didn't catch, I speed-read over things before I post them and I don't have a beta to catch anything for me. Anyways, I hope you enjoyed. The fight scene was pretty lame I know but I'm not good with shootouts and everything. To make up for it I've decided to give you a teaser for the next chapter since I'm not entirely sure when I'll get around to finishing it.

Teaser for Chapter Seven:

_Ooman locked eyes with Yautja. Silence was present for the most part aside from her soft labored breathing before something akin to 'WAHHHARGHLAAAAAAHHHH!' escaped her lips as the ooman spun on her heel and sprinted back the way she had come. Sa'jith cocked his head in question, running the sound through his translator several times before it came up with a definition; 'Human exclamation of surprise/alarm.' He snorted in disbelief before trailing after her; he could've figured that one out on his own, pauking interpreter._


	8. Chapter Seven, Revamped

*Lights go up as Ghostwriter is abruptly dragged across the stage by an irate Logan*

Logan: So, what's your excuse?

Me: Um…

Logan: You've been spending your time writing about pretty boy elves and Trickster Gods and vampires and warlocks while I've been nursing these contusions and lacerations and possible concussion for the past few weeks in some fucking temple that belongs in an Indiana Jones film rather than Antarctica and to top it all off you separated me from the group. What the fuck author?!

Me: Well I-

Logan: And to top it all off I haven't even met my supposed 'love interest' apparently and I have this bad feeling you aren't talking about my sexy Italian.

Me: *whispers* Sexy Italian…?

Logan: So, in front of everyone present *gestures to crowd* promise you won't leave them or me hanging for that long ever again.

Me: It-it's just that-

Logan: *grabs Ghostwriter by the front of her t-shirt* PROMISE!

Me: *squeaks* Okay! Okay! I promise! *turns to face audience* Celtic's gonna have his work cut out for him, eh?

Logan: Who's Celtic?

Me: Um, ah, n-no one you need to worry about *sheepish grin* now stop breaking the Fourth Wall and get back in the story woman.

Logan: *irritated sigh* Fine, but for all the shit you're putting me through I better be getting laid at some point.

Me: *facepalms* Um, maybe in the sequel-?

Logan: THERE'S GONNA BE A SEQUEL!? AW HELL NO! *thinks for a moment before gasping in realization* You're sticking me with ET over there aren't you?! Don't lie to me! And you're saying we're going to-to-ugh! Seriously!?

Me: Don't worry Logan; you'll learn to like it.

Logan: *scoffs* I sincerely doubt that.

Me: *despairing sigh* Why do I create such hardheaded, cheeky OC's?

Logan: Because everyone loves a powerful yet easy to relate to heroine?

Me: Sure, whatever helps you sleep at night. Now stop pestering the readers before we get this chapter taken down for the unnecessarily long yet hopefully entertaining intro…?

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Thanks for sticking with me through these past few months and if you've abandoned me and moved on to other things, well, you're gonna be missing out shortly *there's my snarky narcissism rearing its ugly head*. Seriously though, thanks to everyone who has reviewed and a big thank you to my roomie who's been pestering me about what happened to Logan and literally sat me down in front of my laptop and didn't let me leave until I churned out this chapter. Enjoy the revamped and finally complete Chapter Seven. If it's any consolation, Logan meets Celtic in this one~! Yay!

* * *

Disclaimer: If you recognize it, I don't own it, capiche? Nor do I make any money writing this.

* * *

Chapter Seven; Revamped and Complete

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"What the hell!?" Lex cried, jerking her arm out of Sebastian's grasp and glaring at the archaeologist with death in her eyes.

"You wouldn't have been able to make it in time," he tried to placate her; "Then you both would be de-." He trailed off, casting his gaze to the ground in grief.

Lex shoved her hands back through her hair, beginning to pace agitatedly; "No, no, she's not dead. She survived K2 and she can survive this. There has to be some way we can link up again."

"Miss Woods I must insist we continue moving," Stafford said calmly, reloading his SMG before she turned her eyes on him.

"This is all your fault!" She spat, advancing on him; "If you would have listened to Sebastian and not taken those weapons-!"

"Actually Miss Woods it would be my fault," Weyland spoke up suddenly, taking another hit from his inhaler as she froze, looking over at the mogul leaning against a wall for support; "He was following my orders and if you are going to be blaming anyone it may as well be me."

Lex fell silent at his words, throat tightening almost painfully in that obnoxious way that told her she was moments away from crying. Furiously blinking back the tears brimming in her eyes she inhaled deeply. She couldn't afford to lose it now, she needed her wits about her to get the remainder of the expedition back to the surface. Logan wasn't an idiot, the girl had an IQ of over 170 (the problem being she rarely used it) she would know what bearing to take that would lead her back to the entrance.

Lex hauled Weyland's arm over her shoulder, urging him to move quickly as her mind drifted to how Logan was doing.

* * *

Everything hurt.

_Everything_.

Even her _hair_ fucking hurt.

Logan inhaled a shuddery breath before exhaling just as shakily, curling into a ball on her right side and biting back a pitiful whimper of pain. She eased her eyes open cautiously, catching sight of her flashlight lying a few feet away, the beam flickering weakly a few times before extinguishing entirely. Climbing to her hands and knees Logan cautiously crept towards it, blindly feeling for the cool cylindrical shape and closing her clammy fingers around it a moment later.

Rocking back onto her heels she brought her backpack to her front, digging through the front compartment for a pack of batteries. She fought with the package for a few minutes, finally tearing it open and nearly losing one of the batteries as a result. Logan fumbled to get the top off her LED flashlight, shaking out the old C's and inserting the fresh ones.

"Come on, please work," she muttered, giving it a shake after she turned it on. For a moment she felt panic surge through her when it didn't light up though a few smacks against her palm remedied that problem and the bright white beam illuminated the small room around her.

"And on the third day Logan said 'let there be light'," she muttered sarcastically, lowering her hand from where it had shielded her eyes and looking around. She glanced upwards though the ceiling was solid, the surrounding walls as well aside from a crawlspace that looked just big enough for her to fit in the wall opposite her.

She began to take stock of her injuries, withdrawing her med-kit as she did so. The left sleeve of her jacket wasn't shredded like she thought it might've been, the cut so clean there wasn't even a stray thread hanging from it. Pulling back her sleeve gently she hissed as the fabric pulled at the abrasions, finally rolling it to her elbow and allowing her to see what the creature had done to her.

"Well," Logan began, flexing her fingers carefully as she eyed her arm; "Could've been worse I guess." It was a shallow graze but it burned like a motherfucker, the twin cuts looking like they were made with surgical precision; "It could always be worse. Nothing a few butterfly bandages and a line of liquid stitches can't take care of."

Unzipping her first aid kit Logan began to get to work but not before popping another Naproxen to soothe the burning pain in her shoulder. She rolled it back gently, hissing as she did so; "Okay, I understand body. I won't do that again, promise."

As she finished winding a roll of gauze around her forearm to hold the bandages in place she glanced upwards timidly, eyes landing on the crawlspace once more. After making a few attempts to raise Lex via radio Logan stuffed the two-way back into her bag.

"Alright Logan, don't-don't panic. You've been in stickier spots than this before," Granted that wasn't entirely true but she was damn good at lying to herself when the need arose; "Just-just relax and don't forget to breathe."

The paramedic's last thought was punctured by a sharp intake of breath that seemed to echo in the space around her and she cursed inwardly at how loud it sounded.

Once she was sure she wasn't going to upchuck Logan stood, leaning on the tomb she had fell onto for support. There seemed to be only one way out and that was through the crawlspace. She crouched before it, peering in cautiously as her flashlight illuminated 500 meters of it though the rest was shrouded in darkness. She had no idea how long it was or where she would end up. Not to mention if the space around her shifted or something and she became a human pancake.

She tasted sour bile on the back of her tongue at the thought. Perhaps she should just stay where she was, wandering around would only serve to get her more lost and Lex knew where she had fallen. On the other hand, something told her a heroic rescue was just not in the cards. If she wanted to get out of there alive she would have to do it her damn self.

Hearing another loud, almost pained howl echo in the space around her made the decision for her however as she launched herself forward on her hands and knees, backpack catching on the low ceiling for a brief moment before she began crawling.

* * *

Lex, Sebastian, and Weyland continued making their way through the daunting labyrinth, Max leading them forward with his gun at the ready.

Lex consulted her digital compass upon reaching a fork in the corridor, glancing from path to path, trying to decide which way to proceed.

"Do you even know where you're going?" Max asked the question on the other two men's minds as she shifted almost uncomfortably at the inquisition.

"If we stay on this bearing we should keep going up. If we do that we'll make it to an entrance…," she trailed off, biting back the 'eventually' part of that sentence.

"Should? You don't know for sure?" Max demanded.

"Hey, she's doing the best she can with what little information she has," Sebastian came to her defense, causing Lex to smile tiredly and mouth a 'thank you' his way. He nodded curtly as the quartet began walking once more, reaching a large round room shortly thereafter with a set of stairs leading upwards on the opposite side of them.

Lex breathed a soft sigh of relief before realizing Weyland was lagging behind them, seeming to bend under the weight of the artifact he was carrying.

"Just leave it, it will only slow us down."

Weyland shook his head; "No, too much has been lost to leave here with nothing."

Lex pursed her lips at his stubbornness but knew he was right. They locked eyes for a moment before Lex finally relented; "Then give it to me, I'll carry it." She allowed him to slip the artifact into her backpack before curling her arm around him and helping him walk.

Max suddenly froze in mid-step, raising his SMG as he squinted into the shadows ahead just as a steel net hurtled towards him. It struck him before he had a chance to react, meeting his body with such force that he was launched backwards, pinned against a broken pillar behind him before a quiet whirring sound was heard.

The net was tightening.

Max grunted, positioning his now-useless gun between his face and the net, pressing against it in an attempt to keep it from constricting. However, the more he fought the tighter it became.

"Hang on!" Weyland gasped, grasping the net and crying out in pain when the razor-like threads shredded the palms of his gloves.

"Here!" Sebastian said, drawing his survival knife and slicing through the net –or trying to at least. The titanium blade rattled to the floor, leaving the archaeologist staring at the hilt of his broken knife in shock.

Meanwhile, while the three free members of the group trying vainly to release him Max's eyes widened when he spotted a blur over Weyland's shoulder;

"Look out-!" The warning came too late however as the creature uncloaked and began advancing on them much to the group's horror.

* * *

Now this- _this_ is what Sa'jith lived for.

He was a bit surprised when the oomans didn't scatter and flee, instead taking up arms against them. He batted the _lou-dte kale_ that advanced on him to the side with ease, sending her sailing into a pillar as she crumpled into a heap at the base of it. Sa'jith kept advancing on the male ensnared in Ch'pal's net, the only one who would have been any sort of challenge to hunt out of the group.

The next _ooman_ came at him brandishing what looked to be a sort of curved handheld axe though Sa'jith barely registered it connecting with the metal gauntlet on his left arm, instead grabbing him tight around the neck as the axe fell to the ground.

He could hear his brothers moving about behind him, Ch'pal apparently had his eye on the _lou-dte kale_ but Sa'jith had no idea why. There was nothing appealing about fighting such weak creatures and they made such _awful_ squealing and screeching noises when you ran them through. Pausing before the captured _ooman_, he extended his _ki'cti-pa_ to its full length. Sa'jith wasn't without mercy and ended the male's life by running him through with the spear.

Speaking of _lou-dte kale, _he thought about the other _ooman_ he had nearly decapitated during their initial attack against the pack to gauge their skills. She had fallen but a fall like that wouldn't kill anyone. Hurt like _pauk_, yes, but it wouldn't be fatal. He almost found himself hoping she survived her future encounters with the hard meat, she seemed to be a fighter if the look in her eyes was anything to go by and he would enjoy snuffing out that fire with his own hands. She couldn't be allowed to live though this chiva and potentially expose the existence of Yautja and Kiande Amedha.

She was a loose end, one that he would have to tie up here shortly.

Just as Sa'jith turned his attention back to the writhing male in his grasp he heard a sick wet noise come from somewhere over his right shoulder. Liquid dripped steadily onto the floor and while he feared to turn around he did so, greeted with the sight of Ch'pal's body impaled on a hard meat's tail.

Sa'jith stood still and for a moment felt only numbness. And then an anger surged through him so powerful and white-hot it made it hard to breathe. The hard meat threw Ch'pal's body unceremoniously to the side, luminescent green blood staining the ground as he hit the floor unmoving.

He hadn't even noticed he released the _ooman_, all thoughts now bent on the creature before him as he contemplated how many ways he could kill it with his bare hands.

It lunged at him as he met it halfway, the impact sending them both reeling. He lashed out, the backhanded blow connecting with the hard meat's jaw as it staggered to one side. While regaining its balance it lashed at him with its spiked tail. In a startlingly feat of agility Sa'jith sprang backwards, wrist blades flashing molten silver in the light as he severed the creature's tail.

A smug sense of satisfaction came over him for a moment as it flailed about with a screech of pain and anger. He pulled his arm back to attack again only to realize that the hard meat's acidic blood had reduced his wrist blades to smoldering stubs and the acid was quickly eating through his chest plate.

Ohh, _c'jit_. Their sire was going to kill him when he and Shi'kar returned home

_If we return from this chiva, _a little voice in his head decided to make itself known though Sa'jith ignored it and focused on the task at hand. He stripped himself of his armor (very unwillingly, mind you), ignoring the faint burn of acid against his chest and turning a vicious glare on his foe.

_Pauk'de! _

Snarling, he leapt forward, utilizing his superior height and weight to bring his enemy down.

He could hear the remaining oomans fumble about in the chamber, racing up a set of stairs that had appeared after the last shifting of the pyramid but paid them little mind. He grappled with his opponent, rolling end over end, kicking and clawing at each other before he felt himself falling. Their battle had spilled over into the chamber beneath them and he landed with a painful crunch on a pile of bones.

His heart stopped for a moment when the hard meat landed atop him, its black maw opening as its inner mouth burst forth, stopping precious inches before his mask.

_Too close._

_Much too close._

He chided himself for being so careless and booted the xenomorph off him, rolling to his feet in a crouch. Sa'jith raised his right hand, crooking his talons in the universal sign for 'bring it on' as the xenomorph screeched in fury. It launched itself forward in a bounding leap just as Sa'jith raised his wrist.

A metal net surrounded the hard meat in midair, knocking it to the floor. It writhed weakly as the net pulled tighter, crushing it. Sa'jith utilized the moment to take a short breather and staggered to his feet. What he foolishly didn't take into account was the acidic property of the alien's blood as it quickly began eating through the mesh, melting enough for it to break free.

Sa'jith was clearly overmatched, he realized that now. All his extensive training in preparation for his _chiva_ was for nothing it seemed. His _dah'kte_ were melted, his _ki'cti_-pa was on the floor above them (probably still embedded in the ooman's chest, he couldn't quite remember), and one of his brother's was dead. There was nothing else he could do now but face death with honor.

And die fighting…

Sa'jith roared at the disgusting hard meat who was upon him in seconds, driving him to the ground and crushing him beneath its weight. He struggled futilely against the vicious onslaught but there was nothing else he could do. Clawed hands grasped his head, holding it fast.

_Don't look away._

_Don't look away._

With molten amber eyes locked on the hard meat he watched helplessly as it opened its maw, exposing its inner mouth with a screech as it punched forward-

Only to stop short millimeters before his right eye.

Sa'jith blinked once, twice before hearing a weak gurgling sound come from its throat. He raised his head as much as he could to see the female from earlier standing over the hard meat, his _ki'cti-pa_ buried in the back of its neck just beneath its elongated skull. Its grip slackened on him as Sa'jith shoved it off him, watching with grim satisfaction as it writhed pitifully on the floor before breathing its last.

He struggled for breath himself, clambering rather unsteadily to his feet and towering over the trembling female. It was…awkward…to say the least. His combistick was embedded in the creature's still-twitching body and he made sure to give it a violent twist before removing it. Sa'jith then turned his attention back to the female. The infrared vision of his mask showed him two things of interest; the first being her right shoulder was inflamed blood red which showed him she had been injured during the fall and the second thing he noticed was the _sivk'va-tai_ nestled in the bag on her back.

A sort of unbridled rage surged through him only soothed by the idea that she had just sort of saved his life and as such it would be rather bad form to kill her where she stood. She was no longer armed save for the plasma caster and even then it wasn't as though she would know how to operate it. Luckily for her Sa'jith didn't make a habit of killing weak unarmed creatures, especially _oomans_. There was no honor in killing an unarmed opponent, certainly not an unarmed female. It was by no means 'brag worthy'.

_Ooman_ locked eyes with Yautja. Silence was present for the most part aside from her soft labored breathing before something akin to 'WAHHHARGHLAAAAAAHHHH!' escaped her lips as the _ooman_ spun on her heel and sprinted down the corridor behind her. Sa'jith cocked his head in question, running the sound through his translator several times before it came up with a definition; 'Human exclamation of surprise/alarm.' He snorted in disbelief before trailing after her in order to retrieve his _sivk'va_-_tai_; he could've figured that one out on his own, _pauking_ interpreter…

* * *

It's finished! *throws confetti in the air* I feel so accomplished right now it's embarrassing. Anyways, I'm sorry about the wait *again*. I hope you guys like this chapter as much as I do.

_Quick translations guide:_

_Ooman: human_

_Sivk'va-tai: plasma caster_

_Ki'cti-pa: combistick/spear_

_Dah'kte: wrist blades_

_Lou-dte kale: child maker (derogatory name for female) _

_C'jit and pauk: expletives_

And I think that's everything. Once again I'm sorry for the wait! I feel so terrible, like I let you guys down. I hope this one lives up to your expectations, 3000 words for the trouble.


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